Sunday, August 24, 2008

I apologize to all you vegetarians/vegans out there who may shudder at my recipe of the day and actually I'm not a huge meat eater myself. I much prefer a soup, salad, sandwich or pasta than any kind of meat but every once in a while the summer breezes blow just so and I crave a good burger.

So if you're still enjoying the last bits of summer and are looking for ways to use that barbecue I make my favorite combination by topping a patty with a slice of green chili followed by two thin slices of ham and a slice of cheddar.

Simple but it is completely the best combination a hamburger could enjoy.

Now if you'd like a few tips I've picked up over the years about how to make your burgers turn out perfectly tender and juicy here's what I can offer:

1. Use 20% lean ground beef. Yes it's fattier but the fat is what makes the burger hold together and stay juicy. So today may not be that day you want to follow the diet. Finely ground meat such as turkey tends to get mushy and fall apart, meat that is too fatty will shrink into oblivion and meat that is too lean gets tough so worry about the diet tomorrow.

2. Pat your patties gently. Don't crush them as tightly as possible, loosely packed burgers will get nice and crispy on the outside while staying juicy on the inside. You don't want to squeeze them too much while you're forming them, the 20% fat content will help keep them together.

3. Make the patties thin and large. You'll want them about 1/2 inch thick so they cook thoroughly and larger than the buns so that when they shrink they still fit. I've heard that poking a small hole in the middle can help them cook evenly but I've never tested this out--sounds like a fun experiment to try.

4. Heat the grill for a while. You want it hot, so heat it up for a good five or ten minutes on high before slapping the burgers down. They'll stick right away to the grill in panic but just leave them there for three or four minutes and the outside will char enough that they'll loosen up and you can flip them. If you try to turn them too soon they'll just tear up from sticking to the grate.

5. Cook the burgers thoroughly. It's just not safe to cook a burger medium rare anymore with the threat of food born illness creeping up here and there. If you cook it according to these directions it'll turn out flavorful anyway so don't worry about leaving some pink. Well done is the way to go.

6. Don't squeeze the patties. When you've got them on the grill there's the temptation to squash them with your spatula to check if the juices are running clear (a test to see if they're done) but don't! You just lose juice this way. Treat them with love and tenderness and they'll be tender back.

7. Let them sit. As with all cooked meat, let them sit for a few minutes after they're done to let the juices set a bit. The bigger the piece of meat the longer it should sit with a roast turkey standing for 20 minutes before carving.

8. Grill the buns. Choose buns that are fresh and soft but if you have buns that are starting to get stale grilling will cover a multitude of sins. Brush with butter and grill them in a pan until golden brown and they'll be the final piece of perfection.

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comments:

Grilling the buns has always been my secret! I have even thrown them in the oven before if I was making shredded chicken or pork in the crock pot and needed the buns to be a bit crunchy for counteracting the soft meat.

those sound yummy. thanks for the tips. especially on cooking them. i knew about not smushing them a lot but the really hot grill and leaving them there and they won't stick is great. I always flip them too early!

I'll have to try the toppings you suggest. I totally agree about the thin burgers well done (or at least medium-well), but properly so that they are not dry. I don't even like the fat, pink burgers most people grill up at home. Steak should be rare to medium rare, but burgers taste better cooked through.

Great advice I have always been a bun toaster.It makes the burger that much yummier. I to must confess to being an early turner....:( That's why my husband doesn't let me near the grill plus I tend to burn whatever I'm cooking on there.

We like our burgers with ham and bacon on them, as well as the cheese.One restaurant we used to eat at served up really large burgers (steak knife instead of a toothpick) with bacon, ham, cheese and a fried egg on it...they were great.

Mmm, this looks delicious! Now it has got me wanting to grill before the warm weather goes away. I actually like grilling in the fall, not too cold, and not too hot to slave over a hot grill either. So as the leaves start falling, we'll be doing more grilling!

Mmmm. I love the green chili idea, though I could probably live without the ham. My 'secret' is to season the meat with salt and pepper, and perhaps a bit of paprika. I've read about making an indentation in the middle of the patty, though I haven't tried it either.

Good rolls can make all the difference in the world. As can good tomato, good avocado, good cheese. Mmmm.